


Life in Terms of Arthur

by mimble



Series: Start from the Beginning Again [7]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Fluff, Fostering AU, Gen, a bit hurty, but a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-23
Updated: 2012-09-23
Packaged: 2017-11-14 21:22:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/519637
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimble/pseuds/mimble
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There have been many events that have shaped Arthur's life, these are a select few.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life in Terms of Arthur

Carolyn first meets Douglas when Arthur is six months old. He is sitting on the bench by the bandstand when a tired, young woman comes struggling up the path with a baby carrier. She reaches the bench and sets the carrier down before sitting down with a sigh. Douglas gets a quick glimpse of the cheerful looking, brown haired baby sitting in the carrier and then starts up a conversation. The rest, they say, is history.

Douglas first notices that there is something wrong when Arthur is eight months old. Carolyn is half an hour late for coffee, which isn’t unusual, “I’ll get there when I get there, there’s no point rushing me.” However today, when she arrives, Arthur is balanced precariously on her hip and that damned baby carrier is nowhere in sight, her sleeves have ridden up trying to hold a fidgeting Arthur still and Douglas can see the dark bruises circling her wrists. Douglas orders cappuccinos for the both of them and Arthur contents himself by eating the little biscuits they get on the side. Douglas reaches out and covers one of Carolyn’s small hands with his own, Carolyn glares up at him, “I’m _fine_.”

Arthur goes to live with Douglas when he is three months shy of two years old. Carolyn calls Douglas in the morning to organise it and come evening the child is sitting morosely on the floor of the hall. Carolyn had arrived about an half an hour earlier with Arthur and a bag of his things, she had to leave quite quickly so she could get back before Gordon but it was only ten minutes after she had kissed Arthur on the forehead and left that the boy begins to cry. He crawls out into the hall and pulls himself up on the banisters of the stairs, clutching at it with one hand and reaching out to the front door with the other, tears marring his cheeks. Douglas picks Arthur up and takes him into the living room to watch television together. Arthur curls himself up in Douglas’ lap and jams his thumb in his mouth before falling into an unsettled sleep.

Martin comes to stay when Arthur is just turned three. Douglas hasn’t fostered in years but there’s no one else available and Martin requires emergency foster care. Douglas is briefed via phone call the night before and Martin is dropped off at 10.45am precisely the next day. They all go into the kitchen to have a drink and Martin manages to spill it all over himself and Arthur. Martin scarpers whilst Douglas has his back turned trying to find the kitchen roll to mop them all up. He has a quick look in the living room and can’t see him so he goes upstairs to continue his search. Ten minutes later and still no Martin, Douglas makes his way back downstairs only to discover that he had been in the living room the whole time. Arthur seems to have calmed Martin down and they both accept a thorough face washing with a damp cloth.

Carolyn leaves Gordon when Arthur is near three and a half. She turns up at Douglas’ house in the afternoon and they have a chat over tea. In the evening, Martin and Arthur go and stay with Mrs Higgins next door while Douglas and Carolyn go and pack some of her things. She stays for a week before moving out into a new flat; Douglas lends her some of his spare furniture while she gets herself sorted. 

MJN air sets up shop a week after Arthur’s fourth birthday. It means that Arthur doesn’t get to see Mum as often but she did let them all come and visit the plane. She let Martin sit in the captain’s seat! She only let Douglas sit in the co-pilots seat which meant that Martin was even more important; Douglas even called Martin, sir! 

Arthur moves in with his mum in the summer holidays after his first year at Fitton primary. It starts just like an ordinary day when his mum comes to visit. They all go to the park and have chips and ice cream. Martin races Arthur to the swing set and Douglas spins them on the roundabout until neither of them can walk in straight lines. The only difference is that at the end of the day he goes home with Mum instead of with Douglas and Martin. The new house is only a few streets away from his old one and Douglas says that he’ll come and visit at the weekend so it doesn’t make Arthur that sad that he isn’t living with Douglas and Martin anymore. Mum shows him his new room that has yellow walls and a big boy bed with spotty duvet covers. Some of his toys from Douglas’ house are already in his new room and Mum says he can have pancakes for breakfast tomorrow,

“ _Brilliant!_ ”


End file.
